Share it There's a rumor in Chicago that Target is thinking of taking over space being vacated by Macy's on the Magnificent Mile shopping district, at the Water Tower Place shopping center, according to a recent report in the Chicago Tribune. This location has been the scene of controversy in the past. Before it was a Macy's, that store was a Marshall Field's, one of the mall's first anchors when it opened in the 1970s. Some Chicagoans have never forgiven Macy's for its takeover of perhaps their most beloved retailer early this century. Now, the notion of replacing Macy's with a Target is creating a buzz. In an interview with WGN radio, Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas called the prospect "embarrassing," "disgusting," and "desperate" on the part of mall owner Brookfield.